Making it through another day in a long distance relationship can seem intolerable. 

That's true whether you're enduring the distance from different sides of the country, different sides of the track or opposite ends of the world.

You're stuck in the worst limbo of all: in love, but apart. 

In far too many lonely moments spent looking for solace, music seems like it would be the perfect balm for the wounds of distance dating.

But while many lists exist documenting music that works well as medicine for the broken-hearted or as ambrosia for the happily-in-love, it's trickier to find the right love songs for a long distance relationship. 

So many songs just don't fit. You have no need for sad love songs of betrayal and loss. Those will only make you paranoid and anxious.  Likewise, too many merry-sunshine love songs will only make you cry more — with frustration. 

Believe me. I spent half a dozen years playing the distance love game — and searching for the right soundtrack. Here are the songs that stealthily crept up my most-frequently-played list in that time.

• "A Thousand Miles," Vanessa Carlton
• "Many the Miles," Sara Bareilles
• "The Space in Between Us," Building 429
• "Can't Hurry Love," The Supremes
• "Mama Said," The Shirelles
• "O-o-h Child," Five Stairsteps
• "Why Do Fools in Love," Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
• "Stay With You," Goo Goo Dolls
• "The Heart of Life," John Mayer
• "When You Come Back Down," Nickel Creek
• "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)," The Byrds
• "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road," Percy Sledge
  
• "At Last," Ella Fitzgerald
  

• "A Thousand Miles," Vanessa Carlton
  

Treat this song as a you would any guilty pleasure. You will listen and feel slightly scornful at first. Then you will feel very sad, sappy and foolish. And then you will listen again.

The next morning, you will mumble the lyrics in the shower. "You know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you tonight, if I could just hold you tonight."

• "Many the Miles," Sara Bareilles

The song's question says it all: "How far do I have to go to get to you?"

• "The Space in Between Us," Building 429

This is a Christian song, and not one about romantic ups and downs. But if moments of trust and grace define your earthly love, the lyrics will fit. "All I really want to do is to fall into the emptiness that is the space in-between us ... to break this division ... erase it and bring us together again."

• "Can't Hurry Love," The Supremes
  

If your own mother didn't tell you this, take the advice from this song: "You can't hurry love. No, you just have to wait. You got to trust, give it time, no matter how long it takes."

Some other decent advice:

• "Mama Said," The Shirelles,
  "Mama said there'd be days like this."
  

• "O-o-h Child," Five Stairsteps,
  "Things are going to get easier."
  

• "Why Do Fools in Love," Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
  

You could have been smart and made sure to fall in love with the guy (or gal) who lives, say, next door. You didn't. You're a fool. But you're in love. It's such a bother, isn't it? Asking why is just like asking: "Why does the rain fall from above? Why do fools fall in love?"

• "Stay With You," Goo Goo Dolls
  

When you're tired of being patient, you'll hear the song as one about wanting to do anything to make a way for love.

"Wake up tonight and run to me, run to me now ... The walls will fall before we do."

• "The Heart of Life," John Mayer

No more tears. "No, it won't all go the way it should, but I know the heart of life is good."

• "When You Come Back Down," Nickel Creek
  

Many separations happen for a good reason, and this song celebrates the good that may come from time spent apart. Dreams can and should be chased.

"When you're soarin' through the air, I'll be your solid ground. Take every chance you dare, I'll still be there, when you come back down."

It's about cherishing the kind of love that is supportive and willing to sacrifice. (Only listen when feeling altruistic.)

• "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)," The Byrds
  

For distance lovers, this song's message is to stop worrying, planning, plotting and despairing. It's a calming take on the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

Look at your relationship this way: that your "season" now is to be apart. But every season changes and ends. As the song says: "To everything, turn, turn, turn, there a season, turn, turn, turn and a time to every purpose under heaven."

• "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road," Percy Sledge 
  

No need to envy those sailing down "smooth streets" in their relationships. Celebrate the test your relationship is enduring; you're surviving. 

Be proud, for: "How many hearts could face the winters we've known and still not turn cold?" 

And, yes, there is an Elvis Presley version.

• "At Last," Ella Fitzgerald
  

You'll listen to the lyrics longingly: "At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life is like a song. Oh yeah."

Enjoy imagining that — one day — these will be words you can sing, too.

Note: No guarantees that all of these long distance songs are great works of art in any objective sense. 

But long distance relationships involve many hazards. Among them: tolerance levels for cloyingly sweet and soothing music seems to increase. 

Must be all the longing and desire for closeness that addles the brain.